
Genealogy is a fun and interesting hobby as evidenced by the number of people who have ancestry.com and familysearch.com accounts. People love it! But beware, with so many people turning to this hobby there can be many pitfalls along the way as one creates a properly and accurately documented family tree. Each step in creating that tree can lead you to new ancestors, exciting stories, and to discovering the place in history that your ancestors held. It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of looking for ancestors that we may easily add the wrong one to our tree!
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Here are some of the common pitfalls and mistakes made by genealogist hobbyists:
1. Picking up names of ancestors from another person’s account and not corroborating the information. For instance, especially on ancestry.com, it is very easy to think a name fits into your family tree because it seems to be one that you were told about by a living family member. Some names are more common than one would like to believe. Much to my chagrin, I have many Smiths in my family tree, add to that some commonly given names for people during different time periods, and at times it becomes very difficult.
2. Not learning enough about ethnic naming patterns that our ancestors used to name their children can be a big obstacle. Doing research regarding the ethnicity of our ancestors and how they selected names can be helpful. It is quite common for new family tree researchers to click on a name, look at dates, and geographical areas and then believe that person is your ancestor. Once during the process of working on a family tree for a client that included Irish ancestry, I came upon a name that was common in Ireland. I found several people with the same name, including the middle initial! The names were commonly used within the family and in other families in Ireland. To make matters worse it was difficult to discern which ones (yes, plural) of their ancestors immigrated to America and when. In fact, I was sure that one of their direct ancestors was a member of the Molly Maguires and he had been hung for the crime of murder. The names were the same, the geographical areas of origin in Ireland were the same, and the dates of birth and death were remarkably similar. By learning about Irish naming patterns up until the 20th century I was able to finally find the correct ancestor and his place in their family tree.

3. Taking the family folklore stories as gospel. This is a big one! No one has an “Indian Princess” in their family tree because there were no such titles that were bestowed upon female members of Native American tribes. In fact, if a story about Native American ancestry is one in your family that was passed down it is exceedingly difficult and time-consuming to verify it. My great-grandmother used to tell us a story that her father and his brothers married Native American women when they migrated from Pennsylvania to Minnesota in 1854. In fact, there were Native American tribes in the vicinity of their area of relocation, but my great-great-grandfather and his brother were already married to their respective wives and brought several of their younger children with them when they migrated to Minnesota. It turned out that she knew that was not the case! She rather enjoyed telling tall tales about her family. There are other stories, as well. I continue my search for the truth or non-truths in those stories.

DNA testing confirmed that there is no Native American blood in my family. Diligent research also proved the story to be false. Bummer! Everyone in the generation before me thought it to be true and that it would be cool! I guess I burst that bubble! Some relatives still did not believe the truth when it was shown to them. One can see how easily falsehoods can be perpetuated and how important it is to set the record straight or it may continue through the generations.

4. We are related to royalty! In truth, you probably are, but the farther we go back in the generations of our family the more difficult it becomes to verify that statement. “I’m related to Charlemagne” is one common thread in genealogy. Maybe you are, and maybe you are not. Actually, Charlemagne had at least eighteen children by ten different wives and concubines. Most of the population of Europe and the United States are somehow related to the same set of ancestors going back one thousand years. In one study it was found that all people of European ancestry are related to Charlemagne. The questions then become, can you prove it, and is it important to you? In genealogy, it is all about the proof.
Some genealogical websites, such as familysearch.org, give their members free rein when it comes to entering genealogical information. The question to ask yourself is “Does this information have citations that can be used to corroborate that ancestor’s information?” Always check those sources or do research of your own. Websites like www.familysearch.org are wonderful sites to use when beginning to build your family tree but just use them as a general guide.

5. Believing you have found lots of names and dates that correspond to your ancestors. Perhaps you did. But genealogy is about much more than adding names and dates to your family tree. Rather than be concerned about how many names and dates you have in your tree, you should get to know your ancestors. Where did they live, what were their occupations, what did they look like, how did they fit into the general history of the times in which they lived, and how did their circumstances change throughout their lives? By learning more about your ancestors’ lives one can understand them more fully and add interest to your tree.

6. Using generic family histories. There is much information out there, especially on the internet, about family crests or coats of arms, the meaning of surnames, and how to purchase an already completed history of your family’s surname. Remember that many surnames have morphed into other names, spellings, or pronunciations for several reasons. Most coats of arms were usually bestowed upon individuals, not specific families. The family crest that you found on the internet may have nothing to do with your family. You may be tempted to purchase one of these mass-produced coats of arms or books of surnames but it's best to do your own research.

7. Neglecting to document your sources. Professional genealogists adhere to a Genealogical Proof Standard that includes at least five statements giving them a standard to measure conclusions against. One of these standards is to always document your sources. Using these standards helps
one to find the most credible or probable answer to your genealogical questions or in constructing a solid family tree.
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8. Not taking or keeping notes on your research. By using your previous notes, you can avoid replicating your work when picking it up later. Record and retain each source from which you have collected information. I like to use a simple manila folder that you can buy cheaply at most dollar stores for each direct ancestor and then label each one in pencil or with adhesive labels. These folders are easily reused for additional research. Alternatively, saving notes on your computer in an organized manner will also help. Keep all your notes and printed information that you may have previously collected in each folder for you to reference throughout your research. Unless you like having to do your research more than once this is a good tip to follow.

9. Inaccurately believing your ancestors’ country of origin. Often when we find a country recorded on a digitized document, we may believe that
the country listed is the original country of residence for your ancestor when actually it is not. For example, when certain groups of Puritans migrated to colonial America they may have embarked on their journey from the Netherlands or England. Sometimes they briefly moved to either country to avoid religious persecution before their voyage to the Americas. Therefore, the country recorded as the last residence in Europe may not be the one in which they lived most of their lives.

10. Not knowing how to spell
“Genealogy."
There are several ways to spell that word, both in America and in English-speaking Europe. In America, the common spelling is “genealogy” but in Europe, the usual form is “geneology.” It may seem like a small thing, but it can go a long way in giving your research a professional look.

These ten pitfalls are just several of the issues that genealogy hobbyists may fall victim to. It may seem like a lot to remember. Keeping them in mind as you build your family tree will ultimately save an abundance of time and effort in accurately building your family tree.
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